Dispensing apparatus for storage tanks



R. L. TENNA NT DISPENSING MLPARATUS FOR STORAGE TANKS Filed may 12, 1939* v2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1 June 11, 1940. R. 1.. TENNANT DISPENSING APPARATUS FOR STORAGE TANKS Filed May 12; 1939 2 Sheets-Snet 2 V oyer A. Ten 7a? Patented June 11, 1940 umrao [STATES PATENT OFFICE Roger L Tennant, Dallas, Tex. Application May 12, 1939, Serial No. 213,200

2 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in dispensing apparatuses for storage tanks.

One object of the invention is to provide im- 5' proved dispensing means for tanks, containing fluids, liquids, liquefied gases or vapors under pressure.

An important object of the invention is to provide an improved dispensing apparatus for a tank wherein all the necessary controls and gauges are mounted on a head carried by said tank, whereby the dispensing apparatus may be removed as a unit in order that it may be replaced or serviced. Another object ofthe invention is to provide a dispensing apparatus having an improved spherical head on which the various valves and gauges of the dispensing apparatus may be mounted, the head being spaced from the tank and 'being 10 located adjacent the surface of the ground, whereby said head is readily accessible and may be easily disconnected from said tank and removed whenever necessary.

A particular object of the invention is to provide an improved enlarged head for a tank having an internal spherical chamber communicating with the interior of the tank, whereby a space for the complete expansion and vaporization of the gas which is compressed into the chamber by evaporation of said gas in said tank is provided.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved dispensing apparatus for a storage\ tank having a filtering chamber through which the fluid or gas within the tank must flow before it can reach its point of use, the chamber being so constructed that the vaporous gas which flows therethrough is broken up intoa plurality of minute dry units or atoms, whereby said gas is revaporized, filtered and thoroughly dried so as to prevent the passage of moisture through said chamber; the filtering chamber also preventing gas from back-firing from its point of use through the service line into the tank, thereby obviating the danger of an explosion.

A construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described, together with other features of the invention.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawings, in

which an example of the invention is shown, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a storage tank having a dispensing system, constructed in accordance with the invention, mounted thereon,

Figure 2 is an enlarged plan view ofthe head of tilie tank and-the housing which surrounds said Figure 3 is a plan view of the head with the controls of the dispensing system omitted, Figure 4 is a transverse, vertical, sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a transverse, vertical, sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 3,

Figure 6 is a horizontal, cross-sectional view a taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 4, and

Figure 7 is an isometric view of the head.

In the drawings, the numeral ll designates a portion of an elongated, cylindrical storage tank which may be located underground, as shown, or 1| above the surface, and wherein liquids, liquefied gases, or vapors under pressure may be stored. The tank I. is mounted on suitable supports I I, and is provided with a circular opening in its upper surface l2. An upright pipe I! has its lower end welded, or otherwise secured in the opening and as illustrated extends upwardly from the tank. A spherical head or dome I! is formed with a depending, internally screw-threaded collar l5 which is arranged to receive 'the'screwu threaded upper end of the pipe l3, whereby the head is supported on the pipe. The external surface of the" collar I5 is preferably hexagonal, whereby the head ll may be connected or disconnected from the pipe by means of a. wrench or 0 other suitable tool (not shown).

A vertically extending housing I, which is substantially square in cross-section, surrounds the pipe and head and has its upper end projecting sligliabove the ground level when the tank is proper y positioned beneath the surface. The lower end of the housing It engages between a pair of upright, parallel members or flanges it which are disposed on opposite sides of the circular opening formed in the upper surface I! of a the tank andwhich may be made integral with or attached to -"said surface. As shown in the drawings, the housing is of sufficient diameter to permit the collar l5 ofthe head It to be unscrewed from the upper endoi the pipe H, whereby said head may be readily rernoved therefrom. A cover i1 is secured to the uppenend of the housing by a hinge it so as to prevent foreign and extraneous matter and excess water-from entering said housing. s w

The head or dome M, as has been hereinbefore set forth, is'spherical so as to provide an internal spherical chamber I! which communicates with the interior of the tank through the pipe II. The

' upperend of the head is provided at its central ir a portion with an upstanding annular collar or flange which has its bore communicating with the chamber IQ of said head, as is clearly shown in Figures 4 and 5. A plurality of cylindrical, upwardly-projecting bosses or collars 2| are disposed in surrounding relation to the central collar 20 of the head, being made integral with the upper external surface of said head and the periphery of said collar as shown in Figures 3 and 7. The upper ends of the bosses are in horizontal alinement and lie within a plane slightly below the upper end of the collar 20. The bore of each boss is internally screw-threaded at its upper end as shown at 22 and said bore is intersected by the spherical chamber l9, whereby the bosses form extensions thereof.

It is pointed out that the bosses are spaced from each other and are of various diameters so as to accommodate the different sized elements of the dispensing apparatus. The latter consists of a plurality of valves, regulators and gauges, all of which are mounted in the head I. This allows them to be serviced as a unit and to be easily and readily removed and replaced, if desired. The provision of the head permits the entire unit, consisting of the head and the apparatus, to be removed and replaced by a similar unit. In this manner, the supply to the point of use is not cut off for any appreciable length of time.

A suitable gauge or level indicator 23 is fastened to the upper end of the collar 20 by a plurality of screws 24 which engage within screw-openings 25 provided in the upper surface of said collar (Figures 2 and 3). The gauge 23 is provided with the usual actuating shaft 26 which depends axially through the collar, head I4 and pipe l3 into the interior of the tank Ill and which has the conventional float 21 and counterbalance 28 pivotally connected to its lower end, as shown in Figure l.

Aninlet or filler valve 29 of suitable construction is mounted in one of the bosses 2|, being threaded into the screw-threaded bore 22 thereof. Storage tanks of this type are generally refilled by gravity feed from a portable service tank (not shown). Usually, in cold weather there is a pressure differential between the service tank and the underground storage tank. For equalizing the pressure in the two tanks, a vapor valve 30 is screw-threaded into another one of the bosses 2|, adjacent the valve 29. A hose is connected from the bottom of the service tank to the filler valve and another hose establishes communication between the vapor valve and the top of the supply tank. Any pressure difference equalizes itself through the second hose, thus permitting the fluid to flow from the service tank to the underground tank by gravity. A back-flow check valve (not shown) is associated with the filler valve 29 to prevent the escape of fluid in the event the first hose should break during the filling operation, while the vapor valve 30 includes an excess-flow check valve (not shown) for the same purpose. When the tank is not being filled, these valves are inactive and serve as double seals against leakage.

A manual shut-off valve 3| is located in one of the other bosses, while a safety relief valve 32 engages within the remaining boss or collar to take care of any sudden increases in pressure in excess of the safe operating pressure of the storage tank. If desired, a pressure gauge 33 may be mounted in a small collar or extension 3% which is made integral with the upper end of the head H and which is shown as located between the valves 30 and 32.

A supply line 35, having a regulator 36 of the diaphragm type connected to its inlet or upper end, extends downwardly within the housing l6 and passes through one of the walls thereof to conduct the fluid within the tank to its point of use. The regulator serves to keep the pressure constant at any predetermined range and if said pressure exceeds the rangechosen as safe for operating conditions, a low-pressure valve (not shown) mounted within the diaphragm housing of said regulator vents any excess pressure. A short pipe or tube 31 connects the regulator 36 to the manual valve 3|, whereby the fluid must flow through both before it can enter the supply line. For supporting the regulator, an angular bracket 33 is welded or otherwise secured to the exterior of the head M, as shown in Figures 1 and 3. The bracket is arranged to receive a collar or clamp 39 which is fastened around the line and which is bolted to said bracket. The supply line, of course, is connected to the regulator by a coupling 40, whereby disconnection of the coupling permits the removal of said regulator with the head.

A hood or skirt 4| depends from the boss or collar 2|, within which the valve 3| is mounted, into the interior of the head or dome l4 and is preferably made integral therewith, as shown in Figure 4. The upper portion of the skirt I4 is reduced, as shown at 42, and communicates with the lower end of the boss, whereby said skirt forms a continuation of said boss. The lower portion of the skirt is angular and has its end open andcommunicating with the interior of the head. A filtering medium 43 of any suitable material is disposed within the skirt so as to substantially fill the interior thereof, and the medium is retained therein by a foraminous partition or screen 44 which extends transversely across the lower end of said skirt. The filtering medium and the skirt form a filtering chamber 45 through which the fluid within the tank must pass before it can reach the valve 3| and regulator 36 so as to enter the supply line 35. The filtering medium 43, preferably, consists of a plurality of small metallic ribbons which are coiled or looped and then entwined so that their loops or coils are interconnected or enmeshed. The entwined ribbons form a composite, porous body or mass having a plurality of circuitous openings or passages extending therethrough and intersecting each other, whereby the body presents a multiplicity of surfaces which are exposed to and contacted by any fiuid passing through said body.

It is pointed out that the storage and dispensing apparatus, which has been hereinbefore described, is primarily designed for use with butane, or other similar liquefied petroleum gases which are, preferably, maintained within the tank under pressure. It is also pointed out that the spherical contour of the chamber IQ of the head i4 provides a space for the complete expansion and vaporization of the gas which is compressed within said chamber by the evaporization of the liquefied gas within the storage tank. Thus, a constant and abundant supply of conditioned gas is maintained within the head at all times. Before this vaporous gas can enter the supply line 35, it must flow through the filtering chamber 45 wherein it is broken up or revaporized. Any moisture carried by the gas is absorbed or knocked out by the filtering medium 43 and will either be vaporized or will drop back into the interior of the head. Obviously,a filtering medium of this construction prevents the passage of liquid or moisture into the supply line, whereby only dry gas or vapors may enter said line.

It is noted that the filtering chamber also prevents a surge of liquefied gas from passing into the line 35 during the'filling operation, due to the fact that the medium '43 revaporizes, filters and thoroughly dries said gas. Therefore, the tank may be filled without shutting off the supply of gas to its point of use because there is no .danger of the gas carrying some of the liquid with it into the line. It is also noted that backfiring of the gas through the supply line into the head of the tank is prevented by the filtering chamber 45, thereby eliminating the danger of an explosion within said tank. It is further noted that the filtering medium of the chamber 4.5 serves as a heat exchanger in that the heat of the earth's surface is absorbed by the head I4 and transferred to the fine metallic ribbons of said medium, whereby the gas passing through said chamber is heated by contacting the many surfaces of the medium. The ribbons may be formed of any suitable metal and, if desired, fine shavings, wires or bits of metal may be used in place of the ribbons. I The foregoing description of the invention is explanatory thereof and various changes in the size, shape and materials, as well as in the details of the illustrated construction may be made, within the scope of the appended claims, with out departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device for use with a liquefied gas dispensing system having a gas'generating and storage tank and a standpipe connected thereto; composed of a single fitting having means to removably connect same to the upper end of said pipe, said fitting being composed of a spherical body having a central opening in its topand bottom and other openings in its top, said connecting means composed of an annular collar 'top openings and which bosses are body having surrounding the bottom opening" and depending from'the body,v an upstanding collar at the top of the body surrounding the central opening of said top, said upstanding collar having screwthreaded openings for securing a level indicator fitting thereto, and having a plurality of vertically extending bosses surrounding the other integral with the body and have their inner-sides abutting the upstanding collar of the central opening and are internally screw-threaded, whereby a supply line, equalizing valve, pressure gage, and relief valve fittings may be vertically mounted on said body, the lower ends of the bosses being disposed at points above the greatest horizontal diameter of the body. l

2. A device for use with a liquefied gas. dispensing system having a gas 'gei'irating and storage tank and a standpipe connected thereto. composed of a single removably connect same to the upper end of said pipe, said fitting being composedljpf a "spherical a central opening in its top and bottom and other openings in its top, said connecting means composed of an annular collar surrounding the bottom opening and depending from "thebody, an upstanding collar at the top of the body surrounding the central opening of said top, said upstanding collar having screwthreadegopenings for securing a level indicator fitting'thereto, and having a plurality of vertically extending bosses surrounding the other top openings and which bosses are internally screw-threaded, whereby a supply line, equalizing valve, pressure gage and relief valve fittings may be vertically mounted on said body, and a hood within the body depending from and connected to the boss to which the supply line is attached, said hood being adapted to contain filter material and having an open bottom and spaced sides, the edges of which are connected to the inner circumferential wall 0! the spherical body.

fitting having means to ROGER L. 'I'ENNANT. I 

